WASHINGTON, D.C. - According to a report from the Daily Mail, hundreds of employees who work for the Biden administration along with other federal staffers from more than two dozen agencies had planned to strike on Tuesday, January 16th in protest of the White House's handling of the crisis happening in the Middle East.
That date marked 100 days of Israel's siege on Gaza, which is allegedly why the group, calling itself "Feds United for Peace," organized the walk out for that specific day. The group said it expected hundreds to join in the strike after securing commitments from individuals at 22 federal agencies.
The group said it would be observing a "Day of Mourning" to mark 100 days of Israel's military campaign in Gaza. According to a list obtained by AI-Monitor, those who were to walk out included people from the Executive Office of the President, the National Security Agency, the Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs as well as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Naval Research Laboratory.
Others were expected from agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Park Service, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency. The move was reportedly fueled by the growing "resentment inside the administration" over Biden's "unwavering support for Israel's military bombardment of Palestine," which has killed nearly 23,000 people who are mostly civilians.
The walkout ended up being called off, allegedly due to a winter storm. However, Fox News reported that had they followed through with the act, they would have been committing a crime. Striking or walking off the job as a federal employee is against the law.
The planned walk out was very different from how top federal employees have typically shown their disapproval toward any White House policy in the past, which was usually reserved to media leaks or public resignations over policy. The organizers, who have remained anonymous, said that they were "intent on changing direction from within" and that they had expected "easily hundreds" of staffers to join their efforts onJanuary 16.
The Biden administration has reportedly sent upwards of $14 billion to Israel alongside significant military support. The United Nations estimates that the number of displaced Palestinians is 1.9 million, roughly 85 percent of its population.
One of the organizers of the strike said that the group decided to launch the protest as it "grew out of a collective desire to do what we could to influence the Biden administration's policy on this issue." The person added, "What you're seeing with this effort is something very unusual, and that is for dissent to be manifested via a physical act."
The organizer said that they had "unequivocally" tried to raise their points internally, but feel that the mass walk out was one of their last resorts. The person said, "It's one thing to write letters from within, but when policy discussion and dissent cables yield no shift on policy, and in some views, a double down on that policy, then people feel they have no other option because they're not being heard."
Specific issues cited for the walk out also included the United States' obstruction of ceasefire campaigns within the United Nations, and the bypassing of Congress to send weapons to Israel.
James Carville, a longtime Democratic operative and former campaign strategist for President Bill Clinton, said that the letters mark a turning point in how young staffers speak their minds. He said, "There's this whole, 'You're not the boss of me' attitude now. 'I might work for you, but I have my own views.'"
In response to the planned walk out, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said at the time that those involved should be fired. According to Fox News before the strike was canceled, he suggested that the House of Representatives would help ensure that employees who participated would be punished. On X, he posted, "Any government worker who walks off the job to protest U.S. support for our ally Israel is ignoring their responsibility and abusing the trust of taxpayers. They deserve to be fired."
He added, "Oversight Chairman Comer and I will be working together to ensure that each federal agency initiates appropriate disciplinary proceedings against any person who walks out on their job."
In response to Johnson, the group, "Feds United for Peace" said that the Tuesday initiative differs from a strike. The organizers said in a statement, "This is not a strike. This is a day of mourning. The purpose is to provide space for ourselves to mourn and heal. We serve the American people every day and do so with conviction and pride."
They added, "Sometimes, our leaders take actions counter to our values, and the broader values of the American people. We have a right of freedom of expression too, and our views express only those in our personal capacities."
That date marked 100 days of Israel's siege on Gaza, which is allegedly why the group, calling itself "Feds United for Peace," organized the walk out for that specific day. The group said it expected hundreds to join in the strike after securing commitments from individuals at 22 federal agencies.
The group said it would be observing a "Day of Mourning" to mark 100 days of Israel's military campaign in Gaza. According to a list obtained by AI-Monitor, those who were to walk out included people from the Executive Office of the President, the National Security Agency, the Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs as well as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Naval Research Laboratory.
Others were expected from agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Park Service, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency. The move was reportedly fueled by the growing "resentment inside the administration" over Biden's "unwavering support for Israel's military bombardment of Palestine," which has killed nearly 23,000 people who are mostly civilians.
The walkout ended up being called off, allegedly due to a winter storm. However, Fox News reported that had they followed through with the act, they would have been committing a crime. Striking or walking off the job as a federal employee is against the law.
The planned walk out was very different from how top federal employees have typically shown their disapproval toward any White House policy in the past, which was usually reserved to media leaks or public resignations over policy. The organizers, who have remained anonymous, said that they were "intent on changing direction from within" and that they had expected "easily hundreds" of staffers to join their efforts onJanuary 16.
The Biden administration has reportedly sent upwards of $14 billion to Israel alongside significant military support. The United Nations estimates that the number of displaced Palestinians is 1.9 million, roughly 85 percent of its population.
One of the organizers of the strike said that the group decided to launch the protest as it "grew out of a collective desire to do what we could to influence the Biden administration's policy on this issue." The person added, "What you're seeing with this effort is something very unusual, and that is for dissent to be manifested via a physical act."
The organizer said that they had "unequivocally" tried to raise their points internally, but feel that the mass walk out was one of their last resorts. The person said, "It's one thing to write letters from within, but when policy discussion and dissent cables yield no shift on policy, and in some views, a double down on that policy, then people feel they have no other option because they're not being heard."
Specific issues cited for the walk out also included the United States' obstruction of ceasefire campaigns within the United Nations, and the bypassing of Congress to send weapons to Israel.
James Carville, a longtime Democratic operative and former campaign strategist for President Bill Clinton, said that the letters mark a turning point in how young staffers speak their minds. He said, "There's this whole, 'You're not the boss of me' attitude now. 'I might work for you, but I have my own views.'"
In response to the planned walk out, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said at the time that those involved should be fired. According to Fox News before the strike was canceled, he suggested that the House of Representatives would help ensure that employees who participated would be punished. On X, he posted, "Any government worker who walks off the job to protest U.S. support for our ally Israel is ignoring their responsibility and abusing the trust of taxpayers. They deserve to be fired."
He added, "Oversight Chairman Comer and I will be working together to ensure that each federal agency initiates appropriate disciplinary proceedings against any person who walks out on their job."
In response to Johnson, the group, "Feds United for Peace" said that the Tuesday initiative differs from a strike. The organizers said in a statement, "This is not a strike. This is a day of mourning. The purpose is to provide space for ourselves to mourn and heal. We serve the American people every day and do so with conviction and pride."
They added, "Sometimes, our leaders take actions counter to our values, and the broader values of the American people. We have a right of freedom of expression too, and our views express only those in our personal capacities."
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Comments
2024-01-24T17:13-0500 | Comment by: Joe
Is this not a political issue, therefore. A violation of the ‘The Hatch Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 7321-7326,’ and punishable by fines and termination? Fire them ALL!